Turnbuckle Used For Adjusting Elevation

[lamp]

Check out this elevation adjustment tool. This is a turnbuckle. Turn it one way and it raises the dish. Turn the other way and it lowers the dish. For adjusting only, tighten the screws securely after adjustment. The 1 1/4 inch PVC pipe fitting fits over the end of the 42 mm motor tube. That is a 45 degree fitting, then a little length of pipe. I cut 4 hack saw cuts in the top socket end of the fitting, then tightened with the hose clamp. The two ends of the turnbuckle are held with cable ties. You can't see it but I drilled two holes in the pipe about the width of the turnbuckle eye where the turnbuckle attaches to the pipe. The cable tie passes through the two holes just on either side of the turnbuckle. I will probably take this off after I finish adjusting.

 

[FaT Air]

Elegance in it's simplicity. Great idea. :up

 

[jorgek]

Very clever, but are you adjusting the dish or bending the arm that supports the LNBF?

 

[lamp]

I don't think it was bending. I had the screws loose and the dish moved easily. Perhaps use a smaller turnbuckle higher up and there would be even less chance of bending. I have good signal now, so I don't think anything bent.
Lamp

 

[Pi314]

Brilliant. You deserve a pint of Guinness.

 

[Magic Static]

Not to confuse anyone but you are actually adjusting "Declination" with that. Which is indeed hard to get perfect and your simple setup makes it way easier.

 

[phlatwound]

Not to confuse anyone but you are actually adjusting "Declination" with that. Which is indeed hard to get perfect and your simple setup makes it way easier.

Yes...yes, and yes.

Great idea lamp, kudos.

 

[SatelliteAV]

Great choice of the dish!

Very nice fine-tuning device. Hobbyist innovation at its best!

 

[jorgek]

Fine tuning a dish can be a challenge more so when you have a motor on it. I think I will try this one and as "lamp" suggests placing the turnbuckle higher up on the arm.

 

[Stargazer]

It would be nice to add something to that where you can have a bar go through a hole in the middle to fine tune it for leverage and more fine tuning adjustment.

 

[Anole]

Over the years, there have been many clever ideas published on the forum.
It's great to see the turnbuckle brought up again. :up

I even dubbed one bright fellow, "Turnbuckle Bill".
Search through old threads for many other variations.

 

[pacificrim]

Very cool. The one I did for my Fortec 1.2m on a STAB HH120 has made an incredible improvement. Is there a place for dish mods on this site? It would be cool to have an easy to browse folder on Satelliteguys of various make/model dish mods.